Author Topic: RIP Thomas Taylor  (Read 16549 times)

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layzieyez

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RIP Thomas Taylor
« on: February 23, 2023, 09:26:30 AM »
This year sucks.

https://www.dignitymemorial.com/obituaries/atlanta-ga/thomas-taylor-11170001

Edit: sorry, it took me a few days and different iterations in my mind what I had to say.

I moved from Honolulu, Hawaii to Stone Mountain, Georgia mostly to follow my dream of skating the urban spots that I saw Andy Howell skating. I knew I could go to college and my rich aunt (she came close to adopting me) would pay for my schooling so I did it.

Going from Hawaii that had a few core shops and a lot of well stocked surf shops at the malls to sporadically separated stores with no guarantee of having what you wanted was a shock and and outcome I hadn't prepared. It wasn't until one of my best friends I made and one of the handful of skaters in my high school in 1991, Joseph Moore, took me to Stratosphere. I never needed to go anywhere else once I talked to Thomas and he was stoked to hear I was an outsider coming to the scene. Next, to him on a stool sat professional Australian skateboarder (amazing doc marten wearing on vert) Adam Luxford (also approachable and just a cool dude).

Over the years, I had many conversations with Thomas and his well chosen employees over the years as I shopped for every board that is now considered a classic to go hit the spots nearby. Even though the shop moved around L5P, it was always an upgrade.  In the early 90s when the crack epidemic was still heavily taking a toll on the surrounding areas in the ATL before the Olympics came in to get rid of Techwood, etc, just think what kind of patience you had to have to be almost adjacent to that as a business owner. Thomas weathered all that madness.

more soon, crying again...
« Last Edit: February 25, 2023, 09:29:00 AM by layzieyez »

Ignatius J Reilly

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Re: RIP Thomas Taylor
« Reply #1 on: February 23, 2023, 09:35:33 AM »
fuck, what a bummer. thomas was known to butt heads with a lot of people in atlanta but i know he was just as likely to stick out his neck for a lot of people, myself included. he did a lot for southern skateboarding and there's a whole in the atlanta scene that will never be filled. RIP.

cky enthusiast

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Re: RIP Thomas Taylor
« Reply #2 on: February 23, 2023, 09:47:25 AM »
damn RIP. i just moved to the greater ATL area and stratosphere is a landmark in skating around here. that sucks.

ToySanta

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Re: RIP Thomas Taylor
« Reply #3 on: February 23, 2023, 09:52:40 AM »
Holy shit. That’s heavy.

jorge

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Re: RIP Thomas Taylor
« Reply #4 on: February 23, 2023, 10:01:43 AM »
RIP Mouse.  The man dedicated his life to ATL skating and is down with everyone that matters and has mattered here. 

The real veganshawn

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Re: RIP Thomas Taylor
« Reply #5 on: February 23, 2023, 10:26:32 AM »
What a huge loss. Poor Grant
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GoneWithTheSchwinn

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Re: RIP Thomas Taylor
« Reply #6 on: February 23, 2023, 10:35:32 AM »
RIP to a real skate rat


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MOE SYZLAK

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Re: RIP Thomas Taylor
« Reply #7 on: February 23, 2023, 10:43:35 AM »
The South lost a big one. Much love TT and Family.

banksandledges

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Re: RIP Thomas Taylor
« Reply #8 on: February 23, 2023, 11:28:28 AM »
Oh man.  This is a heavy bit of new.  Thomas was 100% skateboarding through and through.  Much love to the Taylor family and the entire ATL scene.

Richard Skidder

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Re: RIP Thomas Taylor
« Reply #9 on: February 23, 2023, 11:31:36 AM »
I used to skate the ramps in the cul de sac at his house a couple times a week in the early 2000s. I was a shop rat and visited daily. On the days Tom was there we would talk about skateboarding, the industry, and where we thought things were headed. This is shocking and unexpected. I always hoped to visit Atlanta again and that he would be at the shop to say what’s up. This is truly sad news and my thoughts are with his family.

Lenny the Fatface

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Re: RIP Thomas Taylor
« Reply #10 on: February 23, 2023, 11:55:46 AM »
RIP

I feel for GT, seemed like he looked up to his dad a lot.

Ride it to dust

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Re: RIP Thomas Taylor
« Reply #11 on: February 23, 2023, 12:44:12 PM »
RIP Thomas. Condolences to the Taylor family.

assvogel

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Re: RIP Thomas Taylor
« Reply #12 on: February 23, 2023, 01:00:04 PM »
Rest in Peace Thomas and power to Grant and all of his family and friends  :(

funeral_tuxedo

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Re: RIP Thomas Taylor
« Reply #13 on: February 23, 2023, 01:22:10 PM »
RIP

Cuban_Lynx

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Re: RIP Thomas Taylor
« Reply #14 on: February 23, 2023, 01:38:50 PM »
Damn RIP, at least he got to meet the next generation.

fulfillthedream

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Re: RIP Thomas Taylor
« Reply #15 on: February 23, 2023, 01:50:47 PM »
RIP to a real one!
Skateboarding is like jacking-off, it's that good- Jeremy Klein

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Re: RIP Thomas Taylor
« Reply #16 on: February 23, 2023, 02:09:11 PM »
He could he abrasive, but he could also the be light in the room.

His candle was an inferno. Thanks for all of it Thomas |||ATL|||


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The Mexican Nancy Chin

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Re: RIP Thomas Taylor
« Reply #17 on: February 23, 2023, 02:12:33 PM »
Always wished there was more footage of him. Incredible skateboarder. RIP

The Mexican Nancy Chin

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Re: RIP Thomas Taylor
« Reply #18 on: February 23, 2023, 02:19:02 PM »
Anyone who hasn't seen this part should go watch it
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iahohIQiIZ4

versacekid420

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Re: RIP Thomas Taylor
« Reply #19 on: February 23, 2023, 02:27:49 PM »
He got me an Uber when I was 15 visiting atlanta with family and had skated from downtown to stratosphere close to dark. Great dude, RIP.

v.2.0.0.1

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Re: RIP Thomas Taylor
« Reply #20 on: February 23, 2023, 04:23:49 PM »
RIP. Condolences to the family. Always stopped into the shop when getting tattooed down the street back in the day. Good People.
« Last Edit: February 23, 2023, 04:38:15 PM by v.2.0.0.1 »

HugeBodBoyle

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Re: RIP Thomas Taylor
« Reply #21 on: February 23, 2023, 04:43:49 PM »
He used to come up to Knoxville and skate at SK8 HUT in the late 1980's. I was a little grom so I didn't talk much, but I got to see him rip on the mini and do some of the highest frontside wall rides done in that little place.

TwisT

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Re: RIP Thomas Taylor
« Reply #22 on: February 23, 2023, 04:57:52 PM »
Literally saw dude at the shop last week talking to some kids and parents about getting their first board

backside_reacharound

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Re: RIP Thomas Taylor
« Reply #23 on: February 23, 2023, 07:34:26 PM »
way way too young to go, RIP

greerpark

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Re: RIP Thomas Taylor
« Reply #24 on: February 23, 2023, 07:44:35 PM »
RIP ya skate legend. You lived like we all wanted to.


sharkin

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Re: RIP Thomas Taylor
« Reply #25 on: February 23, 2023, 07:54:46 PM »
Obligatory cmon Tom

Huge loss for grant, the family, and the whole scene. RIP

Sativa Lung

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Re: RIP Thomas Taylor
« Reply #26 on: February 23, 2023, 08:06:39 PM »
Fuuuuuck. Just watched the letters with footage from his plywood ramp in the 80s the other day. Everyone who matters seemed to respect him and that says more than words ever could.

144p

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Re: RIP Thomas Taylor
« Reply #27 on: February 23, 2023, 09:20:35 PM »
Never met him but he seemed larger than life.
Thank you for your contributions to our culture.
You will be missed by many.

jorge

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Re: RIP Thomas Taylor
« Reply #28 on: February 24, 2023, 08:37:37 AM »
I owe him nearly all my skateboarding fun from 1992 to maybe 1995.

It's easy to buy whatever you want now, but it wasn't that way 30 years ago. He kept me skating when other shops were closing. Think of all those classic graphics and slick skin boards coming out in those days. I rode tons of world/blind/101/Underworld Element boards because I could count on him being stocked when I was at my physical peak and going through tons of boards.

He brought so many sick teams down to demo, too. The scene wouldn't have been solidly established without his homebase. So many dudes owe him.

RIP
The whole city owes him.  I assume/hope there will be a memorial session at O4W like there was for Load.

Jim and Dan

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Re: RIP Thomas Taylor
« Reply #29 on: February 24, 2023, 08:50:34 AM »
My condolences to his family and friends, looks like 2023 is starting out like 2022 all over again...
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